Dec 20, 2012 (LBO) - Australia based SMEC International (Pvt) Ltd, a consultancy, has been awarded the contract to study the feasibility and prepare bid documents for an expressway to the central Sri Lanka, a minister said.

The firm will be paid 3.99 million Australian dollars and 414 million Sri Lankan rupees to conduct feasibility and environmental studies and prepare bid documents for the first part of the Northern Expressway project.

The first phase consists of a 4-lane expressway from Enderamulla to Pellandeniya near Kurunegala and a link expressway from Pothupitiya to Hediniya near Kandy.

Better known as the Colombo-Kandy expressway, the road is expected to be built as a privately financed toll road.

Later stages of the Northern Expressway project involve extensions to Jaffna in the north of the island and Trincomalee in the East.

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READER COMMENT(S)

11.EXPATFeb 12

Hope this road will be up to International Standards, with acceptable lane width and proper emergency lane, lighting and other road signs.

The one to Galle has narrow lanes, very narrow emergency lane and poor lighting and road signs.
When spending colossal amounts of money , especially in forex paid for by the poor peoples' blood and sweat, the powers that be must at least try to build something acceptable.

10.ThusithaFeb 11

One should drive upto Kandy from Colombo to see how chaotic and stressful the drive is.Just imagine the 116 km drive takes minimum 4 hours and there is no peak and off peak hours as the road is eternally filled with vehicular trafic.The present Kandy road is used by vehicles plying to almost all the provinces except the southern, hence should have been the priority number one project. Hope this will materialize atleast this time as all previous fancy stories had just vanished to thin air without leaving a trace.

9.kamalJan 30

Colombo to kurunegala expressway is better. after clear north and east large nos of vehicle going A6 road and traffic like colombo city

8.ShakeelDec 22

Agree with Chaminda. The traffic on the Dehiwala section of Galle Road is unbearable. The flyover worsens the issue and not solve it. The RDA is not at all bothered about the Greater Colombo towns. The Dupication and the Marine Drive have to be exploited at a faster pace.

The slow progress hinders the productivity of HR. The time wasted on the road creates alot of inconveniences and also mental/emotional stress. We need more professional insights and advice here ASAP. Higher cost of building materials and construction should not be a problem as in the long run the benefits are far more greater.

7.engDec 21

The contract of feasabiltity study for above project was already awarded to An Austrailian comoany called SMEC Engineering.So why another Contract?

6.RanferdiDec 21

Southern Highway was constructed using landfill, This system waste lot of land and affect the Natural system of Water Flow and obstructs the movement of people from side to side.
But when a Road is constructed on Concrete mount as bridges there will be minimum environment impact and above said problems will not be there.

May be the cost is bit high but in today's world most countries opt for this latest technology since environs we live are the most valued.

5.PriyaDec 20

Right now, travel to Kandy is very stressful. Starting a Kandy expressway is a good news.

4.fastmassDec 20

The best way to reduce traffic in congested cities it has been found through practical experience - especially in East Asia, Bangkok being a recent example - is to build MRT/LRT services

3.ChamindaDec 20

Extending Duplication Road up to Ratmalana will go long way to alleviate traffic congestion on Galle Road and bring huge development in Colombo-South. This is long overdue. It is time to include this into the new development agenda for the city of Colombo.

2.R.HadiranpolaDec 20

Congrats from a Kandy citizen on the proposed Northern Expressway Project's Feasibility studies of stage one of the Colombo Kandy Expressway

1.Mahesh RanatungaDec 20

How come this Toll expressway is named "kandy-colombo". according to routes selected no way kandy and colombo will link in quick time. it is like "Parangiya kottae giya wagae".